Alejano confident Judge Soriano won't issue arrest order vs. Trillanes

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano is confident that Judge Andres Soriano of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 will not give in to "pressure" to issue an arrest order against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

During a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Alejano told reporters that he and the camp of Trillanes believe that Soriano will decide that the government's motion seeking to arrest the opposition senator has no basis.

"We're confident sa background ni Judge Soriano na siya ay magbibigay ng tamang desisyon," the lawmaker said.

"Sa aming pagkakakilala sa kanya sa mga nakuha nating information, talagang matino si Judge. Matino siya at meron siyang pananampalataya sa Diyos at sa kanyang trabaho," Alejano said.

After presiding over a hearing last week on Trillanes' coup d'etat case and deciding to admit most of the senator's evidence on Friday, Soriano now considers the Department of Justice's (DOJ) motion submitted for resolution and nears a decision. 

In a four-page order dated October 11, Soriano admitted all of the evidence Trillanes offered except printouts of the official Facebook page of the Department of National Defense and a "throwback picture" of his, since these were not duly authenticated and never identified by defense witnesses in court.

The rest of the evidence, which includes Trillanes' certificate of amnesty, the affidavits of four defense witnesses, and a printed photo of the senator's application for amnesty, were admitted even as the court noted the DOJ's objections.

Alejano said the pressure was heavy on Soriano, just like what happened to Makati Regional Trial Court's  Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda when he conceded that his September 2011 decision dismissing the rebellion case against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV should be treated as if it never existed. 

"May mga information na tayo na matindi talaga pressure sa kanya just like what happened to Alameda so matindi ang pressure diyan," the lawmaker said.

"I hope na tayuan ni Judge 'yun dahil alam ko naman na malapit na siya mag-retire at bibitbitin niya kung anumang desisyon ang kanyang gagawin sa kaso ni Senator Trillanes ay bibitbitin niya habambuhay 'yun. So ano ang mahalaga sa kanya? So sa tingin ko naman ay tatayo siya sa katotohanan," he said.

The government is pursuing criminal cases against Trillanes on orders from President Rodrigo Duterte, who revoked the amnesty granted to the former Navy officer over his alleged failure to comply with the "minimum requirements"—an application and an admission of guilt.

Trillanes denies the charges and at least four witnesses have come forward in court to support his claim. The prosecution's witnesses, on the other hand, said under oath last week that there are no records of amnesty applications under the 2010 amnesty grant of former President Benigno Aquino III.

Should Makati RTC Branch 148 issued an arrest order against Trillanes, Alejano said this will be detrimental to the Duterte administration as this will only expose the government's disregard of the democratic process.

"Kung tuluyan niyo ipakulong si Senator Trillanes e lalo niyo na prino-promote si Senator Trillanes. Lalo niyo prino-promote ang Magdalo at opposition at pinapakita niyo ang inyong pagkukunwari na tayo ay demokrasya. E hindi naman. So kung may naiwan pang sense of service and democracy sa katawan niyo e gamitin niyo na 'yun," he said. —KG, GMA News